San Francisco 12 April 1993 (am)

 

I find myself forever drawn to 1993. It is the pivot point between Prince the 1980s pop idol, and The Symbol he would become in the Nineties. A fascinating period, there are a variety of concerts and after-shows for us to sift through – looking for musical nuggets that may have been previously overlooked in the wave of creativity Prince was riding at the time. I have covered a selection of shows thus far, mostly from later in the year, but today I would like to turn my attention to a show from earlier in the year. This show from April 1993 carries a diverse range of songs. Some had been released on various projects, while others would appear a year later on Prince’s Come album. Just as interesting as the music though is Prince’s thinking at the time, and this makes his spoken introductions just as essential as the music he is playing. So, with that in mind, let’s take a listen.

12th April (am) 1993, DNA Lounge, San Francisco.

In 2009 Prince told Tavis Smiley, and his TV audience, that as a child he had epilepsy. This may have been a revelation at the time, but for those paying close attention in 1992 Prince had already told us through the lyrics of “The Sacrifice Of Victor.” At this particular concert, he spells it loud and clear in his introduction to the song, the key lines are spoken before the song starts proper. Prince’s raspy drawl suits the mood of the evening, and the song as the band picks up on the lyrical content and weaves it into music. With the horns tucked sweetly into the mix, Prince’s rasp has something to contrast against, and for this, the lyrics sound all the stronger. The horns and vocals pull back mid-song, leaving a barren scratch guitar that had been previously buried, thus revealing the funk that the music slides across. The song is a bright opening, leaving the rest of the concert full of possibilities.

 

“Race” makes an appearance, but only as spoken lyrics, and it is up to “Come” to pick up the musical baton and move the concert forward. “Come” doesn’t always sound as good in concert as it does on record. However, the song coasts on a gentle groove with the mix catching just the right balance between the instruments. It stays with a stripped-back sound after the previous all-in of “The Sacrifice Of Victor” With the bass holding the bottom down, the guitar picks its way across the top – leaving plenty of room for Prince to inject his lyrics or any other instrument he calls in. With the horns gliding in and out the song feels like it’s moving forward even as the groove remains steadfast. This is the band that Prince has put together for the Nineties, and here they are living up to their reputation as one of his best.

From the luxuriant groove of “Come,” Prince pulls the band funk band apart and reassembles them as a rock ensemble for a riff-laden “Peach” They still carry the song with a groove, but it is Prince and his guitar that holds the ear. However, Prince is betrayed by a mix that has his guitar sounding thin and brittle. It is especially disappointing as one can clearly hear that he is shredding as only Prince can. This is a pale imitation compared to the much better renditions circulation (and longer ones) and makes for one of the lesser moments of the concert.

 

“Black MF In The House” brings the smile back to my face. The interaction between Prince and Tony M is a lot of fun, and they devote plenty of time to playing with the crowd. The political message remains to the fore, played with a grin the song remains true to itself while giving the crowd plenty to dance to. In this case, Prince’s humor strengthens the message rather than detracting from it.

The “Starlight Lounge Improvisation” sounds like a wedding band that has aspirations for greatness. With the organ swirling above an upbeat groove, it certainly is one to get the crowd moving. The walking bassline and church organ hold center stage as it draws strength from the past, while the brief guitar solo Prince plays fires the song into an unknown future. Like the best Prince songs, it is this dichotomy that keeps the listener interested, and this is a great example of Prince pulling from the past and future.

Prince steps firmly back into the past with the following “I’ll Take You There.” A song he dabbled with often in the late Eighties, here it is almost too familiar. Tommy’s contribution on the keyboards is note-worthy, but Prince doesn’t have a strong female foil to play off, leaving the song one-dimensional and lacking any real punch. Even the guitar tickle in the final minutes is underwhelming and certainly not up to the standard of what was heard earlier.

 

“Sexy Dancer” is strong whereas “I’ll Take You There” was weak. Every instrument has power and purpose, they are muscular and propulsive throughout. The keyboard has a spluttering start, but soon enough is a driving force, the song disappearing under waves of keyboard bliss. Prince returns with some razor-sharp guitar that cuts the song in two, the keyboard glory lost under Prince’s six-string antics. There is a scat that nearly undoes this, but the final minutes as the organ grinds and the horns return make it all worthwhile.

Prince takes on George Clinton’s “Get Satisfied” for the first time, and it sounds like a success from the start. With the horns stepping forward the song gets a strong push. Prince is expanding his horizons and this band is with him every step of the way. A joyful fusion of rhythm guitar is a mid-song highlight, the combination sent from funk heaven. The song remains an evolving funk jam, and Tony M himself says it best with his repetition of “Fat beats and basslines” It does look like an audience chant may finish the song, but a final call of “Groove y’all” sees the band finish what they started.

 

“Papa” isn’t the party jam you might expect after such a song. It briefly wraps the concert in a darkness not previously heard, the cool groove slipping us into the dark lyrical content from Prince. As much as I like it, it doesn’t feel part of the same show. The contrast is too stark, the jump required to follow Prince and his band too great to make for a cohesive experience.

The pop and kick of “777-9311” lifts us from this murky fog, and the band moves swiftly in “Hair.” “Hair” is a recurring song throughout the Nineties, to the point where there is very little new left to hear in it. In this case, it is kept short at a couple of minutes, and as such retains a freshness that isn’t always heard.

An instrumental “What Is Hip?” is a good choice for this band. They play it with a confidence that makes it their own. With the keyboards carrying the load and the horns giving it some flash, it is a bright moment that also carries some energy and momentum as we near the end of the show.

With the full band in from the start, “When U Were Mine,” doesn’t have the same new wave charm as it did in the Eighties. Prince’s raw guitar sound is lost amidst the strong horns and busy drums. The song is still at the center of all things though, and Prince tells his story with an economy not always heard in the Nineties. Overall the positives outweigh the negatives, and the concert is all the better for it being in the setlist.

 

The concert closes with the song of the moment, “Sexy M.F.” With a fabulous long intro that features a bare guitar and horn stabs it signals what is to come. These two elements are essentially the core of the song, and even when the rest of the band joins they carry the song for the next eight minutes. Prince’s vocals don’t appear until the three-minute mark, leaving us plenty of time to bathe in the simple elegance of guitar and horn. Prince’s vocal contributions are perfectly in tune with the funk groove, his lyrics enhancing the music as he flows with ease. The “Love 2 The 9s” lyrics make an appearance, working equally well with the groove, the song continuing to wash easily from the speakers. With a final horn stab, the concert ends with this song, only fitting given how much they have been heard throughout.

So ends another worthy entry in the year 1993. It is yet another fascinating look at Prince as he is on the cusp of his great metamorphous of 1994/1995. One can hear him shedding his 1980s skin, and pushing forward in a new direction, leaving all he has created previously firmly in the rear-view mirror. With the horns locked in place and the NPG building a history with him, this is a springboard into the years that will follow. Fans of hits and short sharp pop songs may be disappointed, but this is Prince reaching for another level of creativity and delivering some of the most interesting material of his career. Better shows will follow, but this is a great place to jump into his Nineties material.